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Tobias Sammet

No metal band has meant more to me over the years than Edguy. They were the first heavy band I got into, and have remained a favorite throughout the ensuing years. While many were criticizing their decisions, whether the comedy that crept in on “Rocket Ride”, or the modern darkness of “Tinnitus Sanctus”, I was firmly in their camp. Fans may have been wishing for the band to return to the style they perfected on “Hellfire Club”, but their refusal to stay in place is one of the things I like most about them.

For nearly twenty years, Tobias Sammet has been the reigning mad genius of modern heavy metal. Between his main band Edguy, and the epic concept albums he's made with his Avantasia project, no one can match the quality and output he has mustered. From helping redefine modern power metal with “Theater Of Salvation”, to reigniting the concept album as a force in metal, to showing that hard rock and heavy metal can coexist within the same band, Tobi has done it all. Every decade has had important figures who have helped define what metal was in their day, and Tobi has been that for the past decade.

As Edguy unveils their new album, “Space Police – Defenders Of The Crown”, Tobi took the time to answer a few questions on the nature of being a songwriter, his band's past and future, and a mutual musical hero.

Avantasia has always existed in a world larger than life. Recruiting scores of heavy hitters to fill the ranks of grandiose concept albums, Avantasia has been the playground for Tobias Sammet's grandest experiments. The two part "Metal Opera" is widely regarded as a modern day classic, even if I seemingly disagree with the whole world on which half is the most vital.